Use our survey to find out how stressed your child is

Being a child in today’s society can be very stressful, so School Entrance Tests decided to make a quiz. We called it,

How stressed is your child?

Our How stressed is your child? survey

Not only do they have to deal with puberty and the normal stresses of childhood, but also the added strains of technology, social media and higher academic expectations.

It might be a good idea to have a look at your child’s stress levels. Stress can be debilitating and might be manifested in a wide range of symptoms. Stress symptoms can affect your child’s body, thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

These include:

Headaches
Tummy ache, upset tummy
Exhaustion / low energy levels
Aches and pains
Sore muscles
Lowered immune system / frequent colds or infections
Altered sleeping patterns/insomnia
Anxiety
Depression
Being overly emotional

However low your child’s stress levels may be, there is always room for improvement. For high-stress levels, we will provide you with some great ways to combat stress.

However, these are some great strategies to implement to guard against these.

Exercise.
Get out there, in nature if possible.
Go for a walk, take your bicycle, but get out there and get your blood flowing.
Good eating habits. Have a look at this very interesting blog regarding this. How to stay healthy during exams
Consider supplements like Magnesium, Iron and Vit D3
Spend time away from screens
Spend time with family and friends
Get enough sleep
Last, but not least LAUGH!

Coronavirus: addressing anxiety in young people

Share these tools and steps with young people

As well as the concerns we’re all feeling right now, older pupils are likely to also be worried about their exams and life after school.

Reassure them that more guidance will come and tell them you’ll share any news with them as soon as you have it.

Deal with the news head-on and talk about it openly and calmly, giving them the facts

Give them age-appropriate information

Educate them about reliable sources of information and how some stories on social media may be based on rumours or inaccurate information
Encourage them to take breaks from listening to or reading the news – overexposure isn’t helpful

Encourage questions

This will give young people the confidence to reach out and ask, if they have anything to ask
Use comforting tones and be honest when answering questions – it’s ok if you don’t have all the answers
Allow for repetition – young people tend to repeat themselves when they’re feeling uncertain or worried, so you may have to answer the same questions more than once as they seek extra reassurance

Be a role model

Recognise and manage your own worries first
Be open about sharing this – e.g. I’m also finding the news a bit worrying, so I’m doing X which makes me feel calm

Let them know it’s normal to be concerned

If needed, reassure them that the effects of this virus on healthy young people are usually mild

Promote awareness of our body’s immune system

Explain that we’re taking precautions because the virus is a new one which our immune system hasn’t developed resistance against.
Remind them of the benefits of healthy eating, sleep and exercise – which help to boost our immune system.

Be aware of children with higher levels of anxiety (e.g. those with existing phobias or obsessive-compulsive disorders)

Get them to do activities such as sorting tasks which can help with heightened levels of anxiety
Encourage them to use relaxation techniques such as controlled breathing
Detect any obsessive or compulsive behaviours early and intervene before they become entrenched patterns of thinking. Do this by challenging unhelpful thoughts and assumptions. Frame worries as situation-specific by relating them to the current situation, which is temporary and unusual

Keep doing your bit to help young people reduce the spread of germs

remind young people to wash their hands
Encourage them to sing ‘happy birthday’ twice when they’re washing their hands

School Entrance Tests